Full-length transcriptome sequencing in garlic identifies AsMYB4 as a candidate regulator of flavonoid metabolism and male sterility.

Overexpression of AsMYB4 in Arabidopsis represses flavonoid biosynthesis, impairs filament elongation, and reduces pollen viability, indicating its role in male fertility regulation.

• Why it matters: Understanding the molecular mechanisms of reproductive development in garlic is limited, hindering crop improvement efforts related to fertility and yield.
• What they did: Researchers generated a full-length garlic transcriptome with 13,260 isoforms using PacBio sequencing and characterized AsMYB4, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, through heterologous overexpression in Arabidopsis.
• The result: AsMYB4 overexpression suppressed phenylpropanoid-flavonoid metabolism, altered auxin signaling, and impaired male reproductive functions, suggesting its potential as a regulator of flavonoid metabolism and male fertility.